Rioteers CC v Bryanston Butterflies, 18th June, 2017

Not something we planned but due to several availabilities the batting looked particularly fragile.

On the bowling front against a youngish BB side this looked weak too with Harrison aged 12 and 3 teenagers complimented by Lowden and our veteran Hampshire bowler Hall (72). Trying to post a reasonable score was our first challenge and much relied on Simon B posting a big score and others supporting him. Neither happened and we struggled to a paltry 84 all out by lunch.

Clearly we were never in the game. The skipper opened with Harrison and Archie H who tried their best as did Bertie H and Lowden but BB overtook our score in just 10.2 overs.

We believe this is our 51st year we have been invited by the BB’s having first played them in 1966 on the way home from the Yetminster tour.

It is a privilege to be offered a full day game and we hope they continue to invite us but we need to turn up with at least a side on paper that can give them a game.

Looking back this is probably our worst performance ever although many of you can remember them posting big scores and our struggling to reach them.

So the moral to the story is we must select a team to try and match them next year and no doubt we can.

Thank you BB’s for a splendid and expansive Lunch and Tea which we could not do justice to but fortunately Doc appeared to hoover up what was left.